The Favors of Devils
by Cassiel Black
Summary: Set after the war, non epilogue compliant.Hermione saves Draco in there 8th year at Hogwarts, Draco falls under Hermione's debt. She finds the perfect use when she wants to get back and one Ron Weasley.And whats the new potions teacher bruing?
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, so this is my first HP fanfic but I read enough of them to get it. I love HP and do not believe that it is all over by a long shot. JK Rowling has got to have something up her sleeve for us. Also please understand that I'm not British, so I will not be using those clever little words that Rowling uses because I don't know the meaning of many of them.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or anything affiliated with the association. Those rights belong only to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. Don't sue.**

**Chapter 1**

Hermione looked over at Ron.

She couldn't help her gaze now a days, it seemed like her eyes moved to the direction of her heart. She wanted to say she hated him. She wanted to say that she would rather listen to the Mer people above water then to harbor a single thought regarding Ronald Weasley in her head.

She'd love to say that; but she knew it would be a lie.

She thought back to the moment in the war; the moment where they had kissed as though their lives depended on it. The kiss, at least to her, meant something ground breaking. She had been in love with Ron since the moment she could remember. She had put up with bickering, and his insults, and his sheer stupidity…because she loved him. Sure she was not idiot academically, but she had foolishly believed that if she tried hard enough that he might see her differently. She thought that maybe his feelings would change if she changed her puffy hair permanently with some expensive spell. That he might look at her differently if she shrunk her oversized teeth. Then he kissed her. And it seemed like she was finally being blessed with what she had been asking for her whole life.

And now she watched as he clutched Lavender Brown. She now hated both of those colors as she looked at the pug face girl's cheekish smile. Her arms were slithered around the tall boy's limbs. Looking at them, she regretted coming back for her eighth year at Hogwarts. Sure she could have got a job at the ministry but there was something that made her comeback to Hogwarts.

She supposed maybe it was the fact that Hogwarts had always been her home, had always been the place she could just be herself. Sure she got made fun of for it, but there was something about being amongst her own kind that didn't make her feel as bad.

"'Mione?'" she heard an urgent voice shouting. Her head snapped up as she quickly reached for her wand. However she put it away when she noticed that it was only Harry that was trying to get her attention. "You okay?"

"Uh…yeah…I-" she stuttered, pulling her eyes away from Ron and turning to face her best friend. She sighed, she was always happy when she looked at Harry now. They didn't share anything that was remotely romantic but she was always happy when she saw his face free of stress. The war had taken so much out of Harry that she feared he would never recover. But every time she saw him he had a smile on his face, and she knew that it was partly due to the girl sitting next to him. Ginny had done wonders for the boy. Out of words, and not wanting to admit that she was staring at the red head boy at the far end of the table she did what she always did, getting up from the bench of the lunch table. "I'm going to the library."

Harry nodded and Ginny smiled knowingly. She was the only person Hermione had ever told her feelings for Ron after the war to. Although she did suspect Harry had the faintest hint.

Regardless she walked through the lunch room, ignoring the usual whispers that accompanied her. She was no longer made fun of, but she didn't find mummers of appreciation comforting either. She walked the familiar path to the library, past the walls and paintings that nodded at her favorably.

She smiled, shifting her bag on her shoulder as she continued down the walk way.

As she was about to approach the stairs she heard a noise. Curiously she took out her wand and walked over, now recognizing the muffled sounds of voices. She took a breath and turned down a hidden corridor and raised an eyebrow as she saw what was in the hallway.

Draco Malfoy, whom she hadn't seen since the battle of the Room of Requirement, stood pressed against the wall with a group surrounding him. She recognized one as Hanna Abbot, a blue eyed Hufflepuff girl who, like Hermione herself, was muggle born. It was rumored that muggle borns trapped Slytherins and committed harsh pranks, with even harsher spells. She had been surprised when they had tried to recruit her, being head girl she had tried stop them or catch them in the act but they had not shown there face s after their invitation.

She and Malfoy were by no means friends, but she had developed a respect for the family after Narcissa had saved Harry from Voldemort. She also knew from Harry that Draco had choked killing Dumbledore, which proved that he at least had some form of morality.

With that Hermione came from behind her spot behind the wall and as though he could since her Draco turned his head toward her for a breath of a second before he looked back at the four people standing before him as though he were pleading. Hermione however took a second to pull herself from his blue eyed stare. She raised her wand muttering a silent stunning spell sending the tallest of the three guys to the floor

The other three turned and saw it was her.

Hanna was quick as she screamed, _"Confundus_!"

Hermione however had braved a war and dodged the spell easily, _"Avifors."_ She murmured the transfiguration spell and watched as Hanna burst into a dozen yellow birds. She saw that the other two had run so she tucked her wand away. She didn't mean to be cocky but Hanna likely didn't stand a chance in a duel with her. Though she had a lot of respect for the school and its founders she found that the Hufflepuff house just rang the word wimp.

She looked over at Malfoy who was digging through Hanna's discarded robes to retrieve his wand. Finally he straightened up and Hermione was shocked by his utter beauty. She had the strange urge to reach up and run her fingers through Malfoy's pale blond hair to see how soft it really was.

He looked at her with bemusement, his face fixed in a smirk. "Thanks Granger, I don't know what would have happened if-"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa; can I here that again? You're not going call me 'mud blood'? Or fixing me with that little smirk of yours; and what, no boasting about how you could have taken them yourself, with no wand?" Hermione felt as though she had stepped into the twilight zone, the muggle televisions show however couldn't comprehend the perplexity of Draco Malfoy saying…thanks.

"Nice to know you tracked my behavioral patterns to the T there Granger," Malfoy smirked. Then a serious look took his face, his blue eyes looking like the dragon fire that represented his name. "I suppose a war will make you realize things, change things. I thought you and Potter were the vilest thing to walk the earth, but look at what you've done. And you could have passed me by just now and you didn't, we Malfoy's don't just let those things go. I am in your debt Granger."

Hermione couldn't help but blush at that. Sure she would wake up in the morning and this would all just be some sort of twisted dream. Why it was Malfoy, and not Ron promising her things she didn't know but it was no secret that Draco Malfoy was the sexiest thing strutting around Hogwarts these days; were Ron had awkwardness and charm, Malfoy leaked passion and sex appeal.

"Malfoy, you don't have to do that," Hermione murmured, looking down to avoid his heated gaze.

After silence she looked up just as Malfoy smirked, "You name it Granger, and I'll be seeing you."

The Slytherin then swept passed her; and the only thing Hermione could think of is 'what the fuck just happened?'

**Alright hoped you like it so far, I love Dramione and was so excited to write this, flame if you hate it I don't really care.**

**Eternal Love~ Cassiel Black**


	2. Chapter 2

**Want thank everyone that reviewed the first chapter, it really means a lot to me.**

**What I'm going to start out doing is giving a shout out to the best review that I get for the story, sort of this appreciation thing. And the winner of that is ****froggirl101 ****your review made me smile.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter, all rights are reserved if not limited to JK Rowling and Warner Bros. Don't sue.**

**Chapter 2**

Hermione sat in the Gryffindor common room in one of the comfortable arm chairs in front of the fire. The mid November weather had succeeded in chilling her nearly to the bone. On a day like this Hermione would usually chose to catch up on next week's homework; but all she could bring herself to do was to think.

Malfoy rolled around in her thoughts, spreading through them like a muggle virus through a microscope. She wanted desperately for this to stop but all she could thing about were his words "I am in your debt Granger."

What exactly did that mean? Was that some kind of pure blood bullshit or was Draco feeling …grateful. She was more likely to believe the first. But her more tolerant self, the person that had fought for the rights of house elves felt that she was judging him unfairly.

What exactly had Malfoy done? Except being pressured into taking a dark mark on his arm and destroying himself trying to be something he wasn't. But then thought that Harry and Ron would hate her for defending him, though the Malfoy family had indivertibly saved Harry's life many times Harry had not taken to kindly to the boy.

She wanted beyond anything to talk to someone but Harry was off with Ginny somewhere, Luna and Neville moved in together and were studying abroad and she and Ron where not on speaking terms. The muggle phrase 'speak of the devil' flashed through her mind as she heard the portrait door open and in walked none other than Ron Weasley himself, and of course the ever present leach on his arm Lavender Brown. Hermione made a note to herself to give her some type of insulting nickname that would be reserved for her head. Like 'walking ugly stick' or 'home wrecker', none of those seemed to capture what she was trying to say so she would put further thought into it later.

"Lavender, why don't you go wait for me in my room," she heard Ron say, oh dear lord this was not happening; was he seriously about to talk to her. Unless it was 'I sent Lavender up to my room so she'll be cornered when you kill her, then after that I'll shower you with gifts to make up for being a complete ass'; then she didn't want to hear it.

To her utter horror the red head sat directly across from her in the arm chair, sitting tall like the pure blood he actually was. She couldn't remember if Ron had always had a stick up his ass but she now believed that it had grown into a log. Was it Lavender that had made him think he was so high and mighty; because frankly monkeys had higher intelligence and more control of sexual desire, so that was nothing to go on about.

"Hermione," he stated. She couldn't help but laugh, was he serious? He reminded her of a little kid trying to be like their parents.

"Ronald," Hermione stated, only _her_ bark came with bite; something she prided herself on. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing Hermione, you can do nothing for me; that's what I wanted to talk to you about." She could detect something matter-a-fact in his tone. Did he think she was implying a sexual favor? She scoffed at the idea.

"Oh," was all she said. It felt like they were having a battle of the wits that Hermione intended to win.

"I'm in love with Lavender," he barked out, she had a feeling that it was meant to spite her; and she had to admit that it did. "We were friends; in fact I don't even know what we were. We argued so damn much I was beginning to thing you got off on it."

Hermione shot him a warning glare.

"I'm sorry that you were in love with me for all those years and I didn't feel the same but you have to get over it. Lavender is beginning to get suspicious and I had to set this strait. Find somebody, move on, I have." He stated simply.

Hermione fought the tears that stung her eyes. "Why?" she found herself asking. When had she lost her will to keep her head above water; or at least pretend to?

At this Ron smirked, she for one had never seen him smirk in his life. "Nobody likes a know it all."

With that he left, simply turning on his heel and walking out of the room.

She made sure that he was gone before she herself burst into tears and cuddled firmly in the arm chair, soaking up the heat from the warm fire.

"I am in your debt Granger." Rang through her mind and she suddenly stood up, with a summoning spell her scarf, coat, gloves and hat flew from her room and into her hands. She had gotten quite good at knitting and had started to wear some of the things she made when she realized the house elves did not desire her presents.

Throwing them on she ran out of the room to the place she knew she would find Draco Malfoy this time a day. Since most eighth years were at least nineteen they were considered to be legal adults, this excluded them from Quiditch on the grounds that they could play professionally. Harry had not been happy about this and neither were many of the others.

She had learned from Harry that Malfoy tend to go the pitch in his free time because he had seen him there on a number of occasions "stealing his field". She had no doubt that Malfoy would be there, it was mainly a hunch but she felt the itching in the back of her hand like the one she had when she raised her hand to answer a question.

She ran through the snow, her boots making solid tracks on the ground to accompany the loud crunch of her feet. The cold whipped through her hair and she was sure it was creating knots. If Malfoy was out playing in this stuff then he was crazy.

Slowly she made her way over to the stands and watched the tiny figure from a distance. She could make out the Slytherin green robes billowing behind with the speed. Watching Malfoy fly was something in itself. Sure she had seen him in matches and had seen Ron and Harry play; but it was nothing compared to the spectacle before her. Malfoy flew with fluidity and grace that did not belong on the pitch; he flew for fun while Ron and Harry, and even Ginny had always ended up in competition.

At that moment Malfoy reared his broom up abruptly as he saw her. Timidly she waved and watched as he pointed toward the locker room. She nodded to show that she understood and started walking that way. She saw Malfoy dismount and stand outside the dark opening waiting for her.

Hurrying through the stands she ran across the massive quiditch pitch and finally came face to face with Malfoy. She felt her breath quicken at the sight of him; and for the first time she was thinking un-virgin thoughts. Like what it would be like to run her fingers through his wind swept hair and have him touch her. But that was all just physical attraction, something she could get from anyone.

"Didn't think you'd be the one seeking me out Granger," he smirked. She couldn't help but to smile back; was Malfoy always this charming?

"M-Malfoy-" she said in a small voice.

"Have you been crying?" he asked coming closer. She had discovered it, what was wrong with Malfoy.

"You've been Imperioused, that's why you've been so nice." Hermione accused. To her surprise, Malfoy laughed.

"That's what you think; smartest witch of the age?" he laughed.

"Then why are you being so nice?" she huffed. She felt like he was besting her at their battle of the wits and she for once felt dumb.

"Granger, what do you see when you look at me?" Draco asked suddenly, Hermione was caught off guard by the suddenly deep question.

_Sex on legs_ was what she wanted to say but that didn't seem too subtle. "A smart ass person who's going to get on my last nerve," she snapped.

"Notice how you didn't say death eater, or murderer or evil son-of-a-bitch," he pointed out.

Hermione crinkled her nose at this allegation. "I would never-"

"Exactly," he stated. Then walked into the locker room and Hermione ran past him eager to prevent frost bite. She briefly heard him chuckle at her.

"So what can I do for you Granger?" He asked. And she could have made the unbreakable vow right then that if she had food in her mouth she would have spit it out. She found it odd that not even an hour ago she had asked Ron the same question.

"Malfoy, you know what you said about owing me a debt?" Hermione stated slowly, picking her words carefully.

"Yes," he stated slowly drawing out the 'e' and seemingly mocking her. He smiled, "what about it?"

"I- did you mean it?"

"Do I strike you as a liar Granger?" Malfoy smirked; and she had to admit he did not.

"And when you said this, you meant… anything?" she continued.

Malfoy raised an eyebrow. "What is it that you're trying to ask me Granger?"

"How do you feel about settling a score?"

**Alright guys thanks for reading, review and if you're the best you'll get a shout out. I do except flames because haters read to.**

**Eternal Love~ Cassiel Black**


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